Not many teams in the NBA playoffs own their first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but the defending champion Boston Celtics do.
The regular season ended Sunday, and the Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets to complete a 61-win season. It’s the first time Boston has won 60-plus games in back-to-back years for the first time since 2007-08 and 2008-09.
The first 14 picks of the upcoming draft will be decided via the NBA Draft Lottery next month. The final 16 picks in the first round and the entire second round are determined by final regular season record, which means the C’s have the following picks:
First round: No. 28
Second round: No. 32 (via Washington Wizards)
Boston’s own second-round pick (No. 57 overall) is going to the Orlando Magic as part of a previous trade.
The Celtics, Magic and Indiana Pacers are the only playoff teams that currently own their 2025 first-round pick.
The C’s also have the No. 2 overall pick in the second round, via the Wizards, from a previous trade. This is actually a pretty valuable pick because the Celtics will be able to get a first-round caliber player but not have to pay a first-round salary.
The Celtics have a very expensive payroll as a team in the second apron. The best way for these kinds of teams to quickly reload and build strong depth is to draft well because rookies are on cheap contracts.
So it’s important for the Celtics to get a decent player with one or both of their picks in the 2025 draft. And to their credit, they’ve done a good job making the most of their late picks in recent years:
The primary goal of the 2024-25 Boston Celtics has never been in doubt. And yet, members of the team occasionally have bristled at questions about the challenges of trying to repeat as NBA champions.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla railed against the idea of the Celtics being the hunted this season, and when asked about the pressure to repeat as champions on the eve of a new season, responded, “We’re all going to be dead soon, and it really doesn’t matter.”
For much of the 2024-25 season, the Celtics embraced the process of navigating an 82-game grind with a focus on not skipping steps despite the fact that their only true goal could not be accomplished until June.
Only in recent weeks has the team finally opened the conversation about the opportunity in front of them. Despite all the banners that hang above the parquet floor, no Celtics team has repeated as champions since the 1968-69 Celtics during Bill Russell’s final season as player/coach. No NBA team has repeated as champions in the past half decade, with the 2017-18 Warriors the last to do such.
Winning consecutive titles elevates a team’s legacy. Winning one is impressive, and as Tatum stresses, that can’t be taken away. But skeptics will nitpick the path and your place in history. Winning consecutive crowns pushes teams into a different echelon.
And the Celtics are embracing that opportunity.
“Joe had a great meeting [late in the season] and great speech — we’re going for something big, we’re going for something that hasn’t been done [for 56 years] in Celtics history [and] for a while now in the NBA,” said Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis. “And we have to take that challenge.
“We have to look at it as something bigger than what we did last year. It’s like a compound effect. If we can do it again, that will make it twice as big as last year, almost. That’s the beautiful thing about it. We have to go for it, utilize this time that we have.”
A second title eliminates so much of the “what could have been” that tends to linger with teams. The 2007-08 Celtics steamrolled to Banner 17 after Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined forces with Paul Pierce. But the 2008-09 squad might have been even better until Garnett’s knee injury derailed the quest to repeat.
That Big Three will forever be revered, but falling short in 2009 and 2010 forever leaves team members wondering if they could have won more. That the rival Lakers won consecutive titles in those two seasons doesn’t make it any easier.
The window for that last Big Three era stayed open longer than most expected, not slamming shut until Boston tripped up in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. The core of this current champion Celtics team knows that little is promised given the bloated cost of the roster, and that forces players to embrace the moment a little bit more.
“There is only a [small] amount of teams that have [repeated] in history and … it’s been over 50 years since the last time it’s been done [in Boston]. So that creates a desire and a hunger,” said Jaylen Brown. “A lot of times you’re going into series and they’re going to be like, ‘The other team is going to be more hungry.’ I think it’s a lot harder to win two than it is to win one, if I’m not mistaken.
“So, I think we’re chasing that. I think we’re hungry about that. And I think we’re going to go into some of these series [as] the hungrier team.”
So much of the concern entering the 2024-25 season was that the Celtics might not have the same day-to-day motivation after winning a title; that having to wait eight months to even have a chance to win another crown might conspire against them.
Instead, Boston ripped off 61 regular-season wins, produced the best road record in team history, and put up numbers only slightly less glitzy than their title season. Now, as the Celtics wait to find out their Round 1 opponent, there is a renewed hunger for what’s ahead.
I think we’re chasing that. I think we’re hungry about that. And I think we’re going to go into some of these series [as] the hungrier team.
Jaylen Brown on the Celtics’ quest to repeat
“I feel like we understand [the opportunity], but more than that, I’m really hungry for it,” said 38-year-old Al Horford. “I’m really driven. I really want this for our group and for the Celtics organization. It’s one of those things that I’m just more excited, I feel like, this year than last year. So just very determined for us to get this done.”
Horford is one of the few in the Celtics’ locker room that knows what it takes to repeat on the big stage (Top assistant Sam Cassell won back-to-back NBA titles during his first two seasons in the league). Horford won consecutive national titles with the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007, and how divine that he got to watch them win another one this past month, with Mazzulla adamantly encouraging him to make the trek to San Antonio to see the title game in person.
Horford said he’ll let pundits argue over where the Celtics slot historically, but he isn’t bashful now about reminding teammates of the opportunity to position themselves among the most revered.
“Those are things that people will have to talk about and figure out, where they want to put us and do all these things,” said Horford. “But, for us, the group that we have, and the things that we’re trying to do, this would be pretty unique. Just looking at Celtics history, the last time was late 60s for a back-to-back. So, for us, it would be pretty special.”
Mazzulla initially bristled when this reporter started a recent interview with questions about the opportunity to repeat. Up until that point, the topic had been an unstated goal in the Celtics’ locker room, with Mazzulla trying to keep the team focused on all the steps of the journey.
“I think when you compete for the Celtics, it doesn’t have to be talked about, because [winning a title is] an expectation every single year, regardless of the past result,” said Mazzulla. “Each and every single night, each and every year, we know what the standard is. And the standard is playing Celtics basketball. The standard is going after greatness with an opportunity to win.
“We haven’t been able to [repeat] in the past, but it guarantees nothing in the future. And we can’t be distracted by the result. We have to be consumed and focused on the process of what that looks like going after greatness on a nightly basis, but also as an organization. And it’s important to carry that responsibility all the time.”
Jrue Holiday won a title with the Bucks in 2021, but the team got ousted in the Eastern Conference semifinals — by the Celtics, fittingly– a year later. Like the other champions of the past half decade, those Bucks will be remembered for that title season, but few will discuss them with the reverence of the teams that won multiple crowns.
Holiday understands the opportunity in front of the Celtics.
“Nobody’s done it in damn near a decade,” said Holiday. “I think to take on that challenge and to go through that experience and go through that obstacle together as a team is something that I truly enjoy. But to be able to complete the goal or complete the task, is something that I feel like everybody on this team wants more than anything.
“It does not need to be said. I think if you know our team and if you know us personally and you know how big of competitors we are, winning is everything, and I feel like we showed that last year. Try to do it again.”
The Minnesota Wild have assigned defenseman Cameron Crotty to the Iowa Wild, it was announced Sunday.
Crotty, a 2017 third round pick of the Arizona Coyotes, appeared in one game with Minnesota during his recall but did not register a point. In 62 games as captain of Iowa this year, Crotty has registered 10 assists.
Having made his NHL debut last season with the Coyotes, Crotty has appeared in two career NHL games, having not yet registered a point. Playing in 281 AHL regular season games across five seasons with the Wild and the Tucson Roadrunners, he has scored nine goals and added 40 assists for 49 points.
Still just 25, Crotty has emerged as an important depth piece for the Wild organization, both for his leadership and impact on the defensive side of the puck. Although his contract is set to expire at the end of this season, Crotty should draw interest for other teams if he doesn't extend his contract with Minnesota.
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
The Sharks are No. 1! The Sharks are No. 1!
In 2025 NHL Draft Lottery odds, that is.
By virtue of the Chicago Blackhawks’ 5-4 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night, San Jose, as the worst team in the NHL, now have guaranteed themselves the top draft lottery odds.
According to Tankathon, the Sharks will have a 25.5-percent chance of securing the No. 1-overall pick again. At the moment, the second-worst team in the league, the Blackhawks, have a 13.5 percent chance, while the third-worst Nashville Predators have an 11.5-percent chance
The Sharks can pick no worse than No. 3 in the 2025 Draft.
Former world champion and Olympic cyclist, Rohan Dennis, has shown no remorse and “perceives himself as a victim” despite him accidentally killing his wife, her family has told a court in South Australia.
Melissa Hoskins, 32, also an acclaimed world and Olympic cyclist, died when she was struck by a car driven by her husband in December 2023.
The big day is finally here. After landing in Canada last week, tonight, Ivan Demidov should be making his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at the Bell Centre. The Illinois outfit is having another tough season and is currently 31st in the league with no hope of moving up or down.
The Canadiens, who failed to clinch a playoff berth on their road trip last week, have another opportunity to do so, but they’ll have to avoid a trap they often fall into: playing down to the competition. In the only meeting between the two sides this season, Chicago got a 4-2 win, led by Nick Foligno and Tyler Bertuzzi.
The Hawks lost their last game and have a 3-5-2 record in their previous ten games, while the Canadiens have lost their last two but are 6-3-1 in their previous ten matches. Montreal had a day off on Sunday, so there’s been no official indication of a possible lineup change, but it seems logical that Michael Pezzetta will make way for Demidov and that Samuel Montembeault will be back in net, even though Jakub Dobes was excellent on Saturday night. While the Habs were off, Demidov, Lane Hutson and Arber Xhekaj were still on the ice in Brossard.
Demidov as he enters the ice as a member of the Montreal Canadiens for the first time, welcomed by Arber Xhekaj #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/eyQ2Q8M26g
The Canadiens' number one netminder has a 2-1-1 record against the visitors, a 2.71 goals-against average, and a .908 save percentage. Dobes has never faced them and doesn’t have the greatest record at home.
Arvid Soderblom was on duty when Chicago beat Montreal in January, but the Hawks have since acquired a new number one goaltender in Spencer Knight. Still, the backup has a 1-0-1 record against the Habs with a 1.92 GAA and a .937 SP. Meanwhile, Knight has a 1-1-0 record with a 3.52 GAA and a .875 SP and was in the net for Saturday night’s 5-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
Up front, Patrik Laine is by far the Canadiens’ most productive forward against the visitors; he has 27 points in 29 games, and he’s followed by Christian Dvorak, who has nine points in 16 games, and David Savard, who has nine points in 30 games.
Meanwhile, Nick Foligno leads the Hawks with 24 points in 54 games, followed by Teuvo Teravainen with 21 points in 23 games and Tyler Bertuzzi with 14 points in 21 games.
Monday night’s tilt will be the 576th between the two sides, and they have each won five of the last ten games. The puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, and fans should get to their seats early if they want to witness Demidov’s rookie lap. The Canadiens could have qualified for the Spring dance on Sunday, but the Columbus Blue Jackets stayed alive thanks to a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals. If they want to make it, the Canadiens will have to book their playoff spot themselves.
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Media in Ireland and US pay tribute to epic achievement
‘This means everything to him,’ says Shane Lowry
Tiger Woods welcomed Rory McIlroy to golf’s most exclusive club after his dramatic victory in the Masters. McIlroy, born in Holywood, Co Down, defeated Justin Rose on the first hole of a playoff at Augusta National to join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen in having won all four major titles.
“Welcome to the club @McIlroyRory,” Woods posted on social media. The 15-time major winner, who achieved three grand slams, added: “Completing the grand slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you’re a part of history. Proud of you!”
Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”
Was the Warriors’ 124-119 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Chase Center the final blow to Golden State’s hopes of making a deep playoff run?
No, but ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes the regular-season-finale defeat will have a ripple effect on the remainder of the Warriors’ postseason, which begins with an NBA Play-In Tournament matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in San Francisco.
“I believe it did, I really really do,” Smith said Monday on “First Take” when asked if the loss cost the Warriors a deep playoff run. “I think when you’re talking about the play-in, obviously that denies them the opportunity and the additional rest they were looking for … had you won yesterday’s game, it buys you the whole week of rest and the ability to potentially recover from [injuries].
“Going up against Memphis, who is a relatively physical team … let’s say, for example, Golden State wins this game. If you win this game, you’re going up against Houston. How often are we going to sleep on Houston?”
If the Warriors beat the Grizzlies on Tuesday, they will successfully escape the play-in tournament for the first time since the format’s debut four years ago and claim the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed with a matchup against the young, hungry No. 2 seed Houston Rockets waiting for them.
While some believe a first-round series against an inexperienced Houston team is more favorable to the Warriors than the three seed/six seed series they would have played against the Los Angeles Lakers had they beaten the Clippers on Sunday, Smith believes the Warriors’ latest loss does not set them up well for a deep playoff run.
“I don’t like this at all,” Smith added. “I’m still holding out hope because obviously Draymond [Green] made his guarantee and I would like to see Steph Curry for as long as we possibly can, but I do look at that loss yesterday and the extra load it’s going to put on them and I do think it’s something that could derail the Golden State Warriors sooner than later.”
Can the Warriors exorcize their play-in demons and secure a spot in the playoffs? We will find out on Tuesday night.
Coverage begins with “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Bay Area
Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”
Luka Dončić’s trade from Dallas and arrival in Los Angeles changed the NBA landscape in more ways than one this year — catapulting the Lakers up the Western Conference standings and sending Luka’s No. 77 purple and gold jersey into the history books.
Dončić becomes the first international player to lead the NBA in jersey sales in an season by besting Steph Curry and Lakers teammate LeBron James, who finished No. 2 and No. 3 in sales, respectively.
The Lakers’ star also is the first player other than Curry or James to top the list since the 2012-13 NBA season, when Carmelo Anthony earned the top spot playing as a member of the New York Knicks.
Luka Dončić is the NBA’s new top jersey-seller … and the first player not named Stephen Curry or LeBron James to sell the NBA’s most jerseys in a season since 2012-13 … and the first international player to lead the league.
Michael Conforto misses a fly ball, leading to a key run for the Cubs in the eighth inning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Admit it, there is worry.
Fess up, negative thoughts are swirling.
Could it be possible that the greatest team in baseball history isn’t even the best team in their division?
Is there a chance that a team so recently dubbed, “invincible” and “unbeatable” is actually more like “maddening” and “mediocre?”
Does baseball’s reigning emperor have no clothes?
That was some of the talk floating through the late afternoon haze Sunday as the Dodgers followed the worst loss in Dodger Stadium history with one of the most frustrating of the season.
One moment the Chicago Cubs were beating the Dodgers 16-0, then less than 24 hours later they were winning with a quarter of those runs. One moment the Cubs were embarrassing the Dodgers, the next moment they were enraging them, a 4-2 loss that dropped the Dodgers to 3-6 since their 8-0 start.
They have lost three consecutive series for the first time in nearly a year, and it only happened once last season, and, yes, late Sunday that was Max Muncy’s bat and helmet flying through the air.
“It’s just a bumpy two weeks,” said Mookie Betts, adding, “This isn't the first time we sucked for two weeks.”
The adjective in the first sentence was appropriate. The verb in the second sentence was perfect.
The Dodgers lost Sunday’s game despite six strong innings from Tyler Glasnow, who gave up a couple of runs on two homers and rebounded from a muddy beating in Philadelphia to pitch as wonderfully as the weather.
But starting pitching isn’t the problem. It’s everything else.
The fielding generally stinks, witness the misplayed fly ball in the left-field corner by Michael Conforto that led to the eighth-inning clinching run.
“Outs that we have to have, we gotta convert those,” said manager Dave Roberts for the umpteenth time.
The hitting, meanwhile, really stinks, this historic offense began the game ranking eighth in baseball in strikeouts and OPS while drawing only the 17th-most walks.
“We’re trying to get the job done,” said Betts. “We’re just not.”
In other words, the magic of all those wondrous plate appearances in October have at least temporarily disappeared. This Dodger team doesn’t work the count, they don’t wear down the pitcher, they don’t own the moment.
How bad is the group of background players who once stole the show and made this team’s stars shine? So far this season Shohei Ohtani has had seven plate appearances with runners in scoring position. All season.
“It’s a 162-game season and it's going to be like that,” said Hernández. “You're never going to have …every guy in the lineup be hot at the same time. I just feel like — we have more guys scuffling than guys that are feeling really good at the plate, so it's just one of those stretches right now.”
Standing in front of his locker after Sunday’s game, admirably facing the tough questions, Hernández made a promise.
At the beginning of the season it felt like a realistic promise. Suddenly it feels like a shaky one
“We're going to snap out of it and we're just going to start steamrolling people,” he said.
Maybe so, but they have to first rediscover what led them to steamrolling people in the first place. These glamorous defending world champions have to remember the time — not so long ago — when they were the gritty team with the chip on their shoulders.
“We just gotta…get back to who we are as an offense,” said Roberts. “Running counts, getting on base, taking walks when given to us, and not chasing, and trying to create stress. And when we do that, we give ourselves more opportunities. And when we don't do that, our margin is much smaller. Pitchers have to be more perfect, and that's a tough way to live.”
Kiké Hernández and Will Smith try to come up with a foul ball during Wednesday's game. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
You know what’s a really tough way to live? Without Freddie Freeman. His ankle injury may be the key to this entire slide. Freeman grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning Sunday but he hasn’t been on the field much and the Dodger offense has crumbled without his cornerstone.
Freeman played virtually the entire season in six of the last seven years, but he’s only appeared in seven of 17 games this season, so you know something is wrong. His surgically repaired ankle is still obviously bothering him, and the pain is clearly killing the Dodgers.
“Freddie is wired very routine,” said Roberts. “Being hurt, the start-stop, the (injured list) — certainly not ideal for him, or for anyone. But he’ll get there. It’s not perfect, his ankle. It’s sort of a new normal, in my opinion. I just feel he’s going to have to calibrate the new normal for his ankle.”
Freeman is apparently going to have to battle his condition the entire season. And so, apparently, will the Dodgers. It is a battle they all must win. Their title defense depends on it.
Like Hernández, Roberts made a promise.
“We're going to be just fine,” he said. “I still expect to win the division. I still expect to win the World Series. I appreciate the passion, the concern from our fans. But we're going to be fine.”
Find something you love as much as the Boston Celtics love shooting 3-pointers.
The Celtics’ affinity for the long ball under Joe Mazzulla is well-documented; they ranked second in the NBA in made 3-pointers (behind the Golden State Warriors) during the 2022-23 season, then led the league in threes made in 2023-24 en route to an NBA title.
But Boston’s beyond-the-arc barrage reached new heights this season.
Exhibit A: Isaiah Thomas had held the Celtics’ single-season 3-point record (245 made) since 2016-17, but this season, three different C’s players — Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard — surpassed that mark, with White breaking Thomas’ record with seven games to spare.
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That’s just the tip of the 3-point iceberg for Boston, which just wrapped up the best 3-point shooting season in NBA history en route to a 61-21 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Here’s the very long list of NBA records the C’s set or tied during the 2024-25 regular season, courtesy of Celtics stats guru Dick Lipe:
Team Records (Season)
Most 3-Pointers Made, Season: 1,457
Most 3-Point Attempts, Season: 3,955
Most 3-Pointers Made Per Game: 17.8
Most 3-Point Attempts Per Game: 48.2
Most 3-Pointers Made at Home: 741
Most 3-Pointers Made on Road: 716
Highest 3-Point Rate, Season: 53.8 percent
Pct. of Points from 3, Season: 45.8 percent
Most Games with 20+ 3-Pointers, Season: 26
Most 3-Pointers Made, 1st Quarter: 422
Most 3-Pointers/Game, 1st Quarter: 5.1
Team Records (Single Game)
Most 3-Pointers Made, Game: 29 (Oct. 22 vs. Knicks; tied with 2020-21 Bucks)
Most 3-Point Attempts, Game (non-OT): 63 (March 12 vs. Thunder; tied with 2023-24 Thunder)
Most 3-Pointers Made by Starters, Game: 26 (Oct. 22 vs. Knicks)
Player Records
Most 3-Pointers Off Bench, Player: 246 (Payton Pritchard)
Will the Celtics’ avalanche of 3-pointers result in more postseason success? We’ll start finding out next weekend when they begin their first-round playoff series against either the Orlando Magic or Atlanta Hawks.
Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
Tyler Toffoli will need one more stop to match an NHL record.
Toffoli scored his 30th goal of the season on Sunday night, in the Sharks’ 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.
It was the fourth different team where the veteran sniper has reached that milestone: The Los Angeles Kings in 2015-16, the Flames in 2022-23, the Winnipeg Jets last year, and now, the Sharks.
Toffoli's 3rd-straight 30-goal season!
What's remarkable about that, the 32-year-old has had 4 30-goal seasons, the first one at 23 years old, the last three in his 30's
When we sing Toffoli’s praises, of course, it’s not just about the scoring.
“He’s been outstanding for our group. The goal-scoring is one thing, but what he does for our dressing room as a leader, helping these young players,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Toffoli. “As much as Toff wants to score, he wants to win, and that’s what we need around here. We need guys that want to win and love to win more than they hate to lose. And that’s what Toff is all about.”
An alternate captain and a 2014 Stanley Cup champion, Toffoli has been a big brother to teen Sharks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, a guy who connects everybody in the locker room, and a good example of winning.
The Phoenix Suns are once again looking for a new head coach.
Mike Budenholzer was fired on Monday following a 36-46 season in which the Suns finished 11th in the Western Conference, missing the Play-In Tournament by three games.
“Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season,” the Suns’ statement read. “Our fans deserve better. Change is needed.”
This is the third straight year that the Suns have fired their head coach, with Monty Williams canned in 2023 and Frank Vogel let go in 2024. Phoenix won 45 games in 2022-23, then 49 games in 2023-24 before regressing this season to 36.
Budenholzer’s team was third-worst on defense in the NBA and went just 10-18 after the All-Star break as the squad plummeted out of contention.
The Suns have one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA, led by a trio of stars in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. The experiment of adding Durant and Beal hasn’t worked out for new owner Mat Ishbia, as the team has gone downhill since losing in the 2021 NBA Finals — ironically to Budenholzer’s Milwaukee Bucks.
Booker, Durant and Beal — who make more than $50 million each annually — are all under contract for next season. Other players on the books include Cody Martin, Nick Richards, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.
Fabian Lysell has played much better of late for the Boston Bruins, and his hard work was finally rewarded Sunday afternoon when he scored his first career NHL goal in a 4-1 road win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Bruins right wing found himself all alone in front of the net during a second-period power play when he took a pass from Pavel Zacha and beat Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry to give Boston a 2-0 lead.
Lysell made his NHL debut back on Dec. 28 but didn’t play another game for the Bruins until he was called up in March. He’s now played 11 games for the Bruins this season and has two points in his last three games, in addition to seven shots on net over the last two matchups.
“I think it means a lot for a guy like him,” interim head coach Joe Sacco told reporters in Pittsburgh on Sunday. “He sees himself as a little bit more of an offensive player, and when you’re in that position, you want to produce offensively.
“Especially getting your first one in the National Hockey League, it’s always a weight lifted off your shoulders. I think it’s been 11 games. Good on him. He’s doing some good things with the puck at times offensively. He’s attacking through the neutral zone, he’s attacking in the offensive zone. There are some things to like in his game, that’s for sure.”
Sometimes it takes time for young players to acclimate to the speed and physicality of the NHL game. Lysell failed to make much of an impact early in this recent call up, but he has looked much more comfortable of late and has really been using his speed to put pressure on opposing defensemen, draw penalties and create good looks at the net for himself and teammates.
Since making his return to the Bruins lineup on March 22 against the San Jose Sharks, Lysell ranks second on the Bruins at 5-on-5 in shots (20), third in shot attempts (35) and fifth in scoring chances (16), per Natural Stat Trick. He has been credited with just two turnovers during that span at 5-on-5, too, a sign that he’s improved his puck protection and is consistently making the right reads.
Even though the Bruins’ season ends Tuesday with a matchup versus the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden, Lysell will get more reps with the Providence Bruins in the AHL playoffs later this month. It’s a great opportunity for him to play in some high-pressure situations.
Lysell is arguably the Bruins’ top prospect right now. He was a 2021 first-round pick, and he has an impressive offensive skill set including an excellent shot, great speed and above-average playmaking ability. It hasn’t been easy for Lysell to crack the lineup since he was drafted, but more opportunity was created for him as a result of the Bruins dismantling their roster at the trade deadline in early March.
The Bruins are about to embark on a summer retool, and they need young players such as Lysell, Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, Matt Poitras and Mason Lohrei, among others, to play a meaningful role in that process. It’s time for the B’s to start building the next generation.
Lysell still needs to be a little more consistent, but the last few games have no doubt been encouraging. It’s something to build on for the 22-year-old forward as he enters an important offseason. One of the best-case scenarios for the Bruins going into 2025-26 would be Lysell showing he belongs in Boston on a permanent basis.
